I don’t read a lot of books that are heavy on romance. That may be because with a lot of them, the romance is the story, and the injection of steamy scenes seems more the point, rather than how the plot is driven.
But I really enjoyed this book.
Naime is a princess, and a mage of the highest order. Her kingdom was broken in two, generations before, in a civil war fought over one of the six kinds of magic. But now her kingdom is threatened, her father is faltering, and the schemes of those inside the court to take power stand in the way of her hopes to lead the country to a new beginning, based on the old ways that were banned after the war.
Makram is a prince of the other half of the broken kingdom, whose people are also threatened. Like Naime, he believes that only by combining the power of the sundered realm, and dealing with their enemies as one, can they all be saved. As with Naime, not everyone in his court believes the same.
The weaving of romance and relationships, the personal strength and hidden vulnerabilities of Naime and Makram, the schemings of the courts, are all wound together beautifully in this book. Some of the most popular books in the fantasy genre these days follow the path of mingling romance into the mix; I’ve read a few of those that fail miserably at simply being good, well written books.
Reign and Ruin is a 5 star read for me. Looking forward to the rest of the series.